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| The Washington Summit: More hype than substance? |
| By Maya Mirchandani, Tuesday November 24, 2009 , Washington |
| This may well be Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's second term in office, but America has changed significantly since the George W Bush days. Barack Obama's stunning election victory has helped redeem the country's image on the world stage as he tries to bridge America's bruised ties with NATO allies, the Arab world and most recently, China and Japan. We all remember the last time the Prime Minister was a state guest in America. It was July 2005 and on that sweltering, humid Washington day, he walked away from the White House with a deal for civil nuclear cooperation that shifted completely a decades old paradigm in the Indo-US relationship, and brought to the fore a new relationship of "natural allies" as India and America have come to be known. And so, as the US President goes about his business of mending fences around the world, the obvious question- with an Obama administration openly reserved about the nuclear deal (remember Obama himself had tabled killer amendments to the agreement during the senate's ratification process in 2006); increasingly focused on the urgency of keeping Pakistan in control (even if it means appeasing its establishment) and more pliant towards China as it tries to work its way out of the economic recession it inherited, (even if it meant ruffling India's feathers over a joint US-China statement) just what will the Prime Minister bring back from the table in Washington this time? At a press conference in Delhi before departure, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said it would be a mistake to consider the absence of a "big ticket" or showcase item on this visit a sign of a faltering relationship. in case an agreement isn't reached in Washington. Instead, the Indo-US partnership in its breadth and scope is currently one of the most important bilateral relationships in the world in terms of a convergence of ideas and ideologies on everything from terrorism to energy security, from trade to democracy, from education to nuclear non-proliferation. Essentially, saying no "big ticket" doesn't mean a lack of big ideas. All this is undoubtedly true. But what is also true is that India is also watching Barack Obama's cornerstone foreign policy - on "Af-Pak" unfold with much concern. As we approach the first anniversary of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, India's regional security and the fight against terror will be uppermost on the agenda. Delhi has repeatedly voiced worry over the Kerry Lugar bill that opens up 7.5 billion dollars in non military aid to Pakistan, even as America assures oversight of the money, and a commitment it won't allow the dollars to fall into the wrong hands. With the American general Stanley McChrystal already having suggested India scale back its humanitarian and infrastructure work in Afghanistan because Pakistani feathers get ruffled, Fareed Zakaria writes in Newsweek, President Obama should not allow his military to make policy "because they confuse the imperatives of the battlefield with a broader view" that India is the only functioning, stable and peaceful democracy in South Asia, and a reliable, long term partner for peace in the region. But as Taliban groups link up with terror groups like the Lashkar e Taiba and Jaish e Mohammed, just words won't ease India's worries. About a week ago, an intelligence team returned empty handed from the US, as it wasn't even allowed access to 2 key terror suspects- David Headley and Tawahhur Rana- currently being investigated for their links to members in the Pakistani establishment who could have had a significant role in the 26/11 attacks. It could be because the FBI is trying to join the dots first before allowing India access, as some sources have been telling us. Sure, there are many more substantive elements to the Prime Minister's visit to Washinton- agreements on trade, education, agriculture, counter terrorism all on the table. And negotiations are going down to the wire on the nuclear end user/ reprocessing agreement that will allow the Nuclear Deal to be operationalized. If that's completed on this visit, many feel it will be a significant pointer towards Obama's commitment to taking the Indo-US relationship forward. But with the first anniversary of 26/11 upon us, it's Pakistan's lack of progress on the Mumbai attack investigations, which is glaring. The Prime Minister will be looking to leverage significant gains in the Indo-US relationship to push India's concerns over Pakistan's commitment to fight terror no matter who terrorist groups are targeting. This is not the first time Dr Singh is meeting Barack Obama, but it is his first state visit to Washington in 4 and a half years. Much has been made of this to prove the Obama administration's commitment to the India US relationship, but ultimately it will be the outcome on issues like these; not the hype- that will determine whether the honour of being Barack Obama's first state guest will be more than a much quoted cliché. |
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Maya Mirchandani is Senior Editor, Foreign Affairs, NDTV. 
